Adjustable hood for car-platforms



(No Model.)

0. S. SMITH.

ADJUSTABLE HOOD FOR GAR PLATFORMS.

Patented Oct. 24, 1882. w I, 1' I E WII WEWIIIIIM 1 WITNESSES INVENTOR g CZWZE AS. Smz'i,

Attorney Uiyrrm) STATES PATENT @rrrca.

CHARLES S. SMITH, OF BATH-ON-THE-HUDSON, NEIV YORK.

ADJUSTABLE HOOD FOR CAR-PLATFORMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,323, dated October 24, 1882,

Application filed April 1: 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHAaLEs S. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bathon-the-Hudson, in the county ofI-tensselaerand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Hoods for Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable flexible hoods for cars; and the object is to construct hoods of this kind so that they can be readily applied to cars new in use, as well as the new ones, to afford a ready and convenient means of passing from one car to the other without danger to passengers, while at the same time affording a continuous view through an entire train, as well as a ready means for ventilating the cars without the inconvenience and annoyance occasioned by flying cinders and dust to the passengers.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as will he hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of two ends of a car connected by my adjustable hood. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of one of the cars with my hood in position.

In the drawings, A and B represent the ends of two adjoining cars, which in this instance are provided with doors 0 D, arranged at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the side or end of the car, so as to give a ready means of access to, the cars when the hoods E E are connected to them. These hoods are made of flexible but strong material 0, which is supported and held in position by light ribs or frame-pieces b, to which the material is secured in any suitable manner. Each car is provided with an extension or' hood, and these have preferably on their faces or ends a suitable packing, (I, so that when they are brought togethertheyform a tight joint to prevent the access of any cinders or dust, while at the same time the ends can freely slide against each other and accommodate themselves to the vibrations or rocking of the cars, and this in a perfectly independent manner, and need no other fastenings. One side or end of the hood is permanently secured to the ends of each adjacent car, while the other end is free to move in all directions. To prevent any possible access of cinders and dust at the upper sides and top I arrange an auxiliary hood, F, which is hinged or pivoted by two light frame-pieces, f, to one end of the main hood. In the ends of each hood are placed doors g, which are to be kept open, when the train is connected, on all of the cars excepting the first and last cars, in which the doors should he kept closed or locked to. prevent any accident to passengers or the admission of cinders or dust.

In order to afford a ready means of ingress and egress to the cars when supplied with my hoods, I prefer to arrange the doors 0 Din the corners of the cars, and in this instance I arrange pivoted or swinging stairs on the sides of the car, which are to be moved out when at stations, and pushed inward under, the platform while the train is in motion. These stairs and doors willform thc subject-matter of a separate application, and will be more definitely described in said application.

In case it is desired to apply these hoods to cars now in use doors may be arranged in them, although I prefer to changethe cars and apply my angled doors, which can be done at a very small expense. If desired, springs may be arranged in the sides of the hoods, by which they are forced and held against each other, although usually not necessary.

7 The advantages of my improved hood will be readily appreciated by those skilledin the art,

as well as the passengers themselves, andamong some of them may be mentioned the perfect safety and convenience in passing from one car to another, even while the train is in motion; the possibility of having an unobstructed view from one end to the other of the train, especially when on a straight line; the

impossibility of sparks and cinders gaining ac- 5 cess to the cars, and the ready ventilation ofthe train through its entire length. The two parts of the hood can readily accommodate themselves to each other and to the vibrations or rocking of the cars, and they can be applied to lit new as well as old cars at a very small outlay or expense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-- 1. In combination with the ends of cars, the adjustable hoods E E, made of flexible material, supported on a suitable framework, and provided with doors in their ends, substantially as shown and set forth.

2. In combination with the ends of cars, the adjustable hoods E E, made of flexible material, supported on a suitable frame-work, and provided with an auxiliary hood, F, pivoted to one of the main hoods, substantially as shown and described.

3. In combination with the ends of cars, the

CHARLES S. SMITH.

\Vitnesses:

L. F. OI-IAMBERLIN, JAMES VAN VALKENBURG. 

